Monday, February 27, 2012

The odds were stacked against her - abused, neglected, and homeless after the loss of both parents to substance abuse and AIDS, Christine Carter became just another ward of the child welfare system. As she grew into adulthood, she had a choice: define the terms of her own life, or become another statistic. Her choice was clear. Not only would she be the first in her family to graduate from college earning her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude in social work from Norfolk State University, and her master’s degree in business administration at the young age of twenty-four, she would found a non-profit multi-service agency serving at-risk children and families throughout the state of New Jersey and nationally.

Seven years later, the Against All Odds Foundation maintains a full-time staff of 12 and a part-time staff of over 150 employees. Under her leadership, the organization has provided free services to numerous families in New Jersey. It has earnings of over $1 million in unrestricted revenue and has secured contracts from a range of institutions, including state and local governments, other non-profit organizations and business entities. Christine’s success has made her a leader among her peers in the non-profit, social service and educational arenas. She is also a public speaker, writer and role model for young women.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker shared about Christine, “We are proud of [Carter] who gives hope, empowerment and love to our beloved brick city.” In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Against All Odds Foundation, Christine consults both non-profits and business leaders on successful program strategies from development, implementation and expansion.

In observance of Black History Month, Christine appeared on the Wendy Williams show to kick off Procter and Gamble's My Black is Beautiful campaign. The campaign celebrates the diverse collective beauty of African American women. To learn more about Against All Odds Foundation, visit http://againstalloddsnj.org/.